Travel is great for teaching us great life lessons about the places we experience and even ourselves. We have been traveling for about six months now and have learned a lot about the world and ourselves through our new found nomadic lifestyle. We hope that as we continue to travel and move around the world we continue to grow and learn. Here is just a glimpse of some of the lessons travel has taught me.

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

1. The world isn’t so scary and most people are inherently good.

We have come across many people on our travels and though some may be rude while others are friendly and more approachable we found that most people in the world are inherently good. They are people just like you working day to day worrying about their families and going about their busy lives.

2. The best way to see a city is by foot and with no particular itinerary in mind.

This is the best way to see a new city, period. Though we do love having a goal in mind such as when we made it a point to go to the Munich Rezidenz during our stay in Munich. This was lots of fun, but getting lost and finding something completely new and unexpected is a treat. Not everything requires meticulous planning while you travel. Seeing a city like a local is a lot of fun too. So be sure to leave a day in your next trip with the sole purpose of exploring by foot with no particular objective, but to just take in the city itself.

3. You don’t need to be able to speak another language in order to travel the world.

This is perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions of travel. When we first decided to sell everything and travel the globe our friends and family were concerned for us for numerous reasons. Besides the obvious worry that we’d gone crazy one of the biggest questions was always how we would get around only being able to speak English. Well, we have not had much trouble with communication. Like I said in lesson number 1: most people are inherently good and will even try to work with you. We touched on this topic in another post A Haircut in Another Language.

4. You would be surprised by what you are capable of.

Travel teaches you what you are capable of handling and what your limits are. You’ll find yourselves in some odd situations that you may have never found yourself in when you slip into the spontaneity of traveling. Like when you walk off a train in the middle of the night in a country where you don’t speak the language, you can’t find your hotel, oh, and did I mention your phone is dead. How do you handle this situation? You learn patience and how to roll with the punches when living on the road.

5. To live in the moment.

Travel has taught me to live in the now. When traveling I don’t have a whole lot of time to worry about yesterday. I forgot about all of my cares when I found myself caught in a festival in Italy. I got off the bus to people dressed up as pirates and princesses and they are throwing confetti and silly string in the streets. There is an old fashioned street puppet show to my right and people dancing in the street to my left. There is no time to think of other cares or worries. I forget it all and join in on the fun. I throw confetti at Chris, we dance in the street, and roar and clap with the crowd as a cannon shoots off in the distance. Travel for the sake of travel or, if nothing, for the sake of learning how to live in the moment.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

6. Travel teaches you acceptance.

While traveling and living out of our backpacks we have come across many different people. People who are kind and who open their homes to you. We have made many friends in bars and pubs across Europe these six months. They share their stories with us and taught us that we are all the same.

After having met the new found friends on our journey we have tried to show acceptance to others. To offer our stories to others and to be more open minded of other beliefs and cultures.

7. Failure is not so scary. You only fail when you don’t try.

We sold everything we own and took a one way flight to Europe to live our lives as Nomads. Could we have failed? Yes. Could we still fail? Of course. Isn’t that scary? No, because we can always go back to the way our lives where before we left it all behind. Would we want to? Probably not, but if we had to we could. Failing is not the enemy and it isn’t bad. Failing teaches us. In the words of Thomas Edison “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Learn from your failures and use them to help you grow.

8. Life is short so do what makes you happy.

People have begun telling Chris and I how they wish they can travel the way we do or just travel more than they do in general. The secret is that you can. Do what it is that will make you happy. Do what you want and get what you want out of life (to a point, of course). Make a plan, set aside a travel fund, start making major changes in your life, and do what you need to to get what you want. It is possible all you have to do is try…what is the worst that could happen?…you fail?

9. Travel has taught me how to live.

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.” – Glenn Clark

My last and most important lesson that travel has taught me is how to live my life and be the person I want to be.

I hope that you’ll find some lessons and inspiration from my words here. What have you learned from your travels?

We were in Paris for a week and wanted to see as much of the city as possible. On our first night in the beautiful city we sat in a cafe with our map of Paris trying to figure out where to go and what to see for the week. The french owner of the cafe came over to us and saw that we were obviously not ‘from around there’ and asked if we needed help finding something. We asked him what we should do and see for our one week in Paris. His eyes opened up just a little bit and we could see that he was starting to get excited. Apparently he loved Paris and we were about to get the low down on an amazing place. He sat down at the table and began scribbling away on our map explaining all the sites and fun things to do in the city.

Here are our top ten locations and some of our favorites, but there is so much more to see. He kept saying “and if you have time….”, but unfortunately we did not have enough time. We have made it our mission to return to the wonderful city of Paris one day!

1. Eiffel Tower

This is a no brainer and definitely a must for anyone traveling to Paris. The monument is truly an amazing structure to see in person, especially at night all lit up. The Eiffel Tower sits at the end of a large park where you’ll find people playing sports and families walking their children. The walk through the park with the tower in the background is one of the magical experiences of a trip to Paris. Don’t forget to go across the street to take in the monument from the top of some steps to get a clear view (and with a fountain as a bonus!)

2. Sacre-Coeur Basilica

We were told of this place from a the local Parisian restaurant owner named Sebastian (the excited one from the beginning). He said that there was a beautiful Basilica with amazing views of Paris from the top of the hill. We promptly pulled out the tourist map provided by our hotel and he circled our next destination. In order to get to the Basilica we needed to climb up a bunch of stairs and then some more stairs and even more stairs! As we climbed we would see more and more of the beautiful structure tempting us from the top of the hill.

Once at the top we realized our new friend was not wrong and the prize was worth the work. The views we saw were breathtaking and the cathedral itself was an amazing place to visit. Although there are a lot of people crawling around the area the place seems to be roomy and relaxed. Getting in and walking through the church is a breeze and you won’t be disappointed when you come out the other side.

3. Notre-Dame

No trip to Paris is complete without a look at the world famous Notre-Dame. The cathedral is located in the fourth district of the city on a small island in the river. There’s a convenient metro stop named Cite that gets off right in the center of the island. Entering the cathedral is free, but climbing the stairs to the top of the tower will cost €8.50.

The Notre-Dame isn’t one of the most famous structures in the world for no reason. The building sets an imposing back drop to the square below and even in the chilly New Year’s air expect to see people hustling around eager to take a picture. Because of its popularity the line to get in and walk around can stretch across the square, but don’t let that stop you! Get at the back of the line (it was at the street when we went) and get excited as you creep closer to the entrance. The line moves quickly and we were inside in about ten minutes. You can spend as long as you’d like wandering around the columns and taking in the frescos of a place that has been standing for over 700 years.

4. The Louvre

The Louvre is an amazing museum to see and by far one of my favorites. The iconic glass pyramid is also the starting point to your journey into the museum. Be sure to arrive about thirty minutes to an hour before opening because a line will start to form. And believe me, you don’t want to be standing anywhere except for the front of this line. This is the line to end all lines. If you get there right when they open or later, you will easily be standing for a few hours to get into the museum. We were told that the lines get a little less intense after the holidays, but even still you’ll want to maximize your time inside.

Once inside grab a map and get your tickets. The admission is good for the entire day and for all of the wings of the museum. I suggest you head strait for the one or two things that you just can’t miss. My personal favorite is ‘The Winged Victory of Samonthrace’. The marble statue is in honor to the Greek goddess Nike and it’s on the way to everyone’s must see, ‘The Mona Lisa’. Again, if you’re early, the DaVinci masterpiece is good to see as soon as you start your tour because the room that holds the painting will start to get crowded.

After you’ve seen your bucket list items there’s nothing better to do in any museum than get lost. Start wandering and taking in the wonderful displays in all of the areas of the museum.

5. Eat A Macaroon

Head to the nearest bakery or pastry shop in Paris and buy yourself a macaroon. They are delicious and nothing beats eating one in Paris. I bought my pistachio macaroon at a cafe that we ate at in The Louvre. In fact, it’s hard to go wrong with any cafe or bakery in the city. Most of them are quaint little shops that serve robust dark espressos and wonderful sweets like macaroons and crepes. Remember, you’re in Europe so if you want “Coffee” you’ll need to order a “Cafe”. In Paris Coffee=Espresso!

6. Bar La Vue

We were told to visit the bar at the top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Paris from a local Parisian. He said the views of the Eiffel Tower from your seat are amazing. He was not wrong. We sat sipping our French wine admiring the beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night.

In addition to the view outside the bar has a fun modern decor. The picture above is one of the many phases of a dazzling light show that adorns the ceiling as you relax on the top of the highest building around. This is a great experience and you’ll pay a little more for your glass of wine, but you can get no better views of the city of lights.

7. Moulin Rouge

Wether you go to watch a show or just snap a picture of the place this is definitely worth seeing in person. Being a fan of the movie of the same name I just had to see the iconic building for myself. A word of caution, the establishment sits smack in the middle of the Red Light district of Paris. Everything is perfectly safe and well lit, but maybe leave the kids behind for this one.

8. Get Lost

We got lost in the Art district and loved every minute of it. You may find yourself in an enchanting garden at the National Archives just as we did. I can’t express enough how nice it feels to give up a day to “nothing”. Sometimes the planning and structure to maximize the sights on a trip can be tiring. Make sure you spend a day in Paris doing whatever your heart tells you and going wherever your legs take you. The city is broken up into twenty different districts and they each have their own character and charm. Pick one and get swept up in the local energy. Enough said.

9. Arc De Triomphe

This attraction is a must see, but gets very crowded. Unless you plan to go up to the top of the Arc for some great photos of the city, take your picture in front and be on your way to see more of Paris. Also, if you are in Paris around New Years time, the Arc is the place to be to see fireworks and a wonderful display of the year projected across the top. Many people go to the Eiffel Tower, but fireworks are no longer allowed around the tower. The tower does light up and sparkle, but the real show is at the Arc De Triomphe.

From the Arc I suggest a stroll down one of the streets that converge at the traffic circle around the monument. One of the most famous is the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. The street is flanked by trees and wide sidewalks which makes for a nice walk for shopping and sightseeing in one of the most wonderful cities on the continent.

10. Ferry Down The Seine

By JeanSebastienMouche (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

After an amazing trip to an amazing city a relaxing boat ride can be just what the body needs. Fortunately, Paris is a great city for a scenic boat tour. Take a ferry ride down the Seine and see the Eiffel Tower and beautiful architecture of Paris from the water. There really is so much to take in of the city and so little time. There are many old buildings and wonderful pieces of art and architecture on display in every day life around the city. Relax on a boat ride, get some French wine, and take in the fact that you’re in Paris!

We had the privilege to interview popular travel blogger from That Backpacker, Audrey Bergner. When she was just eighteen she started traveling seriously around the globe. Today she holds 40+ countries under her belt and continues to travel the world and document her wanderings on her site. Through her blog she documents her many travels with a tagline Food, Culture, Adventure. Keep reading below to find out more about Audrey, her experiences and where she is headed next.

Audrey in Vietnam

Basic Info

Short Bio:

Hi there! I’m Audrey and I’m a traveller, blogger, and YouTuber with an insatiable desire to explore the world. I’ve climbed volcanoes in Indonesia, bathed elephants in Northern Thailand, trekked through remote villages in Vietnam, battled zombies in Chicago, and slept in a jail hotel in Finland. I go in search of unusual places with one-of-a-kind stories and document the experience on my blog and on YouTube.

Interview Questions

Where are you now?

Canada for a few more days.

How long do you stay in one place before heading to your next adventure?

It depends on where I am. When I was travelling in Southeast Asia I found myself spending 1 month in each country and covering a lot of destinations along the way. I prefer slow travel, but that doesn’t stop me from hopping borders every once in a while.

What is your favorite means of transportation?

Train.

How many continents have you visited?

All except Antarctica!

How many countries have you visited?

Somewhere around 40.

What is your favorite country to travel in and why?

This is always a hard one to answer! Some really memorable ones include Vietnam, Jordan, Turkey, Australia, and Brazil – mainly for their striking landscapes.

What are your favorite travel app(s)?

I like having a good translating app for the country I’m visiting. GoogleMaps is also great for finding your way.

Top five items you can’t travel without:

camera, chapstick, notebook, phone and laptop. I know I listed a lot of technology, but I have to be able to document the trip.

What inspired you to travel?

I think what drove me to travel was curiosity. Curiosity about people, places, and their traditions.

You traveled to some places with some unique cuisine. What are some of the unique foods that you have tried? Which were your favorites and which will you never try again?

One of the most unique meals I had was zarb – a Jordanian barbecue that’s cooked in the sand. It was really cool watching the meal be dug out from the ground and it was delicious! As for foods I’d be happy to never taste again, that goes to salmiakki – a salty, black liquorice that’s really popular in Finland.

What is your best travel memory?

Camping out with Bedouins in the middle of the Jordanian desert.

What are some of the challenges you have faced on your travels?

Oh, there have been a lot of bloopers. Forgotten wallets, credit cards eaten by the ATM, train derailments in the middle of the jungle…

What have you learned about people and yourself from your travels?

I’ve learned that I’m tougher than I think, and that people are kinder than we believe.

On your About page on your blog you said that you grew up traveling but started doing so seriously when you turned eighteen. Where did you go and why did you choose this place to start your travels?

Being a university student gave me a lot of free time (Christmas Break, Reading Week, Summer Break, etc.) so I started saving my money to travel any chance I could. This was my first taste of real travel and it got me hooked. A few of the places I travelled to while in university include: India, England, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Cuba. I’m not kidding when I say I made the most of every break.

I see that you have a YouTube Channel called Sam and Audrey that you manage with your husband, Nomadic Samuel. Did you start your travels with Sam or did you meet on the go?

We actually met while we were both working as ESL teachers in South Korea. We spent a year getting to know each other better and taking a few little trips around the country, and then once we both finished our contracts we decided to go backpacking around Southeast Asia.

What key tip would you give anyone wanting to travel the globe full time?

Travelling and blogging full-time is quite the balancing act. You’ll need to be self-driven, innovative, flexible, and a master multitasker. It’s not all daisies and roses, but it is a pretty amazing job and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

Where are you headed next?

Peru, South Africa, and Germany are up!

Wrap Up

Audrey was a great person to have interviewed. We are very grateful that she took the time out of a busy schedule to answer some of our questions. Her answers show us that determination can go far in helping us reach our goals. She made the most of every opportunity to go somewhere unique and continues to inspire us by visiting some breathtaking locations. She certainly has inspired me to plan my next trip (apparently I need to start looking into the Jordanian desert). 🙂

Let us know what you think of Audrey and all of our interviews in the comments below. Is there anyone that you would love to see interviewed here? What burning questions do you have for our would be interviewees?

When you walk into bar in the United States what do you expect to get served? You expect to walk in, sit on a stool at the bar, and order a beer.

Bars in Italy are a different experience all together. There’s a cultural norm that takes a little while to get used to, but once you find your groove you’ll be hooked.

Location, Location, Location

First thing’s first. Bars are everywhere in Italy. Everywhere. They’re like pharmacies in Florida. They’re on every corner. They’re in every plaza. There are often four of five within a two minute walk of anywhere. This is really not an exaggeration. As an experiment we left our apartment and chose a direction. We walked a few blocks and took a picture of every bar/cafe that we could find. Here’s what we came across:

By my count that’s five different establishments within five minutes in one direction away from our apartment. You’ll surely have some opportunity to find your favorite and I think I missed a picture of one or two places down a small side street!

The Experience

Bars are also called cafes. So, unlike in the U.S. they serve a variety of purposes. They’re kind of like the whole Italian experience wrapped up into one little shop. You’ve got good coffee, beer, wine, spirits, and Italian food all at your beckon call. The food selection seems to be the same no matter which establishment you find. You’ll get a selection of pasta (with various sauces), pizza, sandwiches, and dessert (many have Gelato).

And of course you can get the drinks you would expect from a bar.

When you walk into your favorite bar you’ll often find an open counter area called “the bench” and a few tables scattered around. Most of the time people drop in for a quick drink at the bench and leave. The odd thing is that this drink is most likely coffee. That’s right, in Italy people gather around the counter and drink espresso or cappuccino. They chat with each other, share a laugh, and enjoy their beverage. After I watched this I started realizing that people never took coffee “to go”. That’s just not done over here. Coffee (espresso, remember?) is quickly enjoyed at the bench or while reading the paper at a table.

The Prices

So, remember how I mentioned that bars have “the bench” and some tables floating around the place? This is an important distinction when the price of your drink is concerned. Many cafes have a bench vs. table pricing strategy. If you enjoy your drink at “the bench” it may cost one Euro, but if you take it at a table it will set you back 1.20 Euro. Not a huge difference, but they up charge you for taking up more space!

Different prices aside, most bars are cheeeeap. The numbers I gave as an example are actual prices for a nice cappuccino over here in Rome. Expect to pay a little more in the city proper, but nothing like the Starbucks pricing strategy stateside. Coffee isn’t the only thing that comes out cheap in places like this. I’ve found that almost anything Italian is very reasonably priced. A huge Peroni beer? 1.20 Euros. A tall glass of wine? 2.50 Euros.

Well, When in Rome…

Overall the food and experience here in Rome is awesome. If you ever find yourself in this busy metropolis in Italy feel free to open up your inner Italian and stop in for a drink. Lean on the bench, order your favorite coffee, and watch people go by on the street outside. By the time you’re done and saying Caio! you’ll be hooked.

If you are using a Keurig K10 (K31) Minis Plus brewing system, congratulations, you are owing one of the best coffee makers. But have you known how to use this amazing item properly in order to enjoy the best things from it? Ok, my article today will provide you with some of secrets on how to use K10 Properly, revealed by the real users and the manufacturer as well. Are you ready to learn now?

Actually, there are various ideas on how to use this magic machine properly, and to the extent of this article, I’d like to point out some of the most remarkable ones as follow:

Make use of a white vinegar to eliminate any lingering plastic taste and smell which will probably remain in your coffee. After that, make some more brewing without a K-cup through the machine to remove taste of vinegar.

If you want over 10 ounces of coffee, make a 6 oz.cup. Refill the container after the first brewing and make another brewing cycle, using the same K-cup but with another 6 ounce of water. Clean and make the first cup of coffee empty, using a large mug before using that cup for the second brewing, after that add the second cup of coffee into the larger mug.

In order not to spill water, it is recommended that you should fill a measuring cup of pour-lip with proper amount of water and fill it into the device. Never let water spilling happens if your machine is not designed with a drip tray.

One of the simplest ways to identify proper amount of water before brewing is to fill your desired cup into K-Cup and pour it into the container.

Stay away from clogged needles by taking out the K-Cup immediately after brewing

Pay much attention to the top needle. Always keep the three holes in it clean and free of the ground coffee so that the water can flow smoothly. This point is not recommended in cleaning instruction, but you need to remember and follow for the best performance possible.

Some users informed that using reusable filters from Solofil, Java jig and cafe cup, replacing my K-cup offers a great result.

Before starting to brew your favorite ground coffee, you had better make experiments to get your expected result. Some users say that the normal store sells ground coffee which becomes weak coffee after being brown with the machine, while other says that their ground coffee is very strong. In addition, you need to adjust the amount of coffee which is used, the grind and the amount of water which meets your desire. Some users suggest using twice amount of ground coffee as you want in a drip maker. But others advise that grinding your own beans is able to improve the flavor over the grinds that you buy from store. You should also make experiment to choose the suitable coarseness.

Last but not least, grind your own coffee beans instead of using finely pre-ground coffee for drip brewers can remove the silt in the cup’s bottom.

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Ok, here are 10 most important points you need to remember when it comes to using a Keurig 10 mini plus brewer. They are simple but very important for your machine to perform well and durably. So are you clear about them all? Let’s remember and apply them properly so that you will have the awesome machine serve you at its best.